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Innovation Pharmaceuticals Brilacidin Franchise Anchored in Three Clinical Indications — Oral Mucositis, Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Serious Skin Infections; Expands into Dermatologic Diseases

BEVERLY, Mass., Jan. 29, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Innovation Pharmaceuticals, (OTCQB:IPIX) (“the Company”), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, today provides a business development update:

The Confidential Disclosure Agreement (CDA) count toward partnering with global and specialty pharmaceutical companies interested in the Company’s first-in-class drug candidates is nearing 20, with additional Agreements in review. Successfully securing partnerships would afford the Company access to immediate and potentially recurring sources of non-dilutive capital, including upfront fees, milestone-based payments and tiered royalties;
A leading international drug manufacturer has been engaged with to bulk produce commercial-quality Brilacidin, aimed at lowering patient drug cost and anticipating future drug needs in preparation for expedient market introduction. This critical step also proactively facilitates future patient and insurance reimbursement adoption through favorable cost savings;
After a recent successful Phase 2 trial in Oral Mucositis (OM), the Company believes that it is the clear global leader in this area as it develops an easy-to-administer oral rinse medicine for the prevention of severe Oral Mucositis (SOM) in Head and Neck Cancer (HNC) patients receiving chemoradiation—analysts estimate this market could reach $1 billion in coming years.
Brilacidin—Dermatology Formulation Development

Brilacidin has successfully completed Phase 2 trials in Oral Mucositis (OM), Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Acute Bacterial Skin and Structure Infection (ABSSSI). A drug with broad platform potential (pdf), Brilacidin’s innate properties and modes of action, as well as additional pre-clinical work, support the drug’s potential for topical application in dermatology, including: Atopic Dermatitis, Acne, and Hidradenitis Suppurativa. All are areas of large unmet need and comprise highly lucrative markets.

To further these efforts, the Company is in negotiations with a leading drug formulator to develop topical formulation(s) of Brilacidin for these three dermatology indications, starting in 1H2018. The goal of the negotiations is to reach terms on a strategic partnership for addressing these markets. The formulator brings an impressive track record of developing products that have earned billions of dollars for global pharmaceutical companies.

For a discussion on Brilacidin’s potential as a topical agent in dermatology, please read more at the following link:

“Brilacidin’s Potential Application in Dermatology”
For more on Brilacidin, learn more here:

www.ipharminc.com/brilacidin-1/
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About the Company
Headquartered in Beverly, Massachusetts, Innovation Pharmaceuticals Inc. (IPI) is publicly-traded under the company symbol “IPIX”. The Company is clinical stage biopharmaceutical company developing innovative therapies in multiple diseases. The Company believes it has a world-class portfolio of first-in-class lead drug candidates and is now advancing them toward market approval, while actively seeking strategic partnerships. The Company’s Psoriasis drug candidate Prurisol completed a Phase 2 trial and the Company has since conducted a Phase 2b study, with topline results expected in 1Q2018. Prurisol is a small molecule that acts through immune modulation and PRINS reduction. The Company’s anti-cancer drug Kevetrin successfully concluded a Phase 1 clinical trial at Harvard Cancer Centers’ Dana Farber Cancer Institute and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the Company has commenced a Phase 2 study in Ovarian Cancer. In the laboratory, Kevetrin has been shown to modulate p53, often referred to as the “Guardian Angel Gene” due to its crucial role in controlling cell mutations. Brilacidin, a defensin mimetic compound, has shown in an animal model to reduce the occurrence of severe ulcerative Oral Mucositis (OM) by more than 94% compared to placebo. The Company has recently completed a Phase 2 clinical trial with its novel compound Brilacidin-OM for the prevention of OM in patients with Head and Neck Cancer; topline results demonstrate a reduction in the incidence of severe OM (WHO Grade ≥ 3). The Company’s lead antibiotic, Brilacidin, has completed a Phase 2b trial for Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infection, or ABSSSI. The Phase 2b data showed a single dose of Brilacidin to deliver comparable clinical outcomes to the FDA-approved seven-day dosing regimen of daptomycin. Brilacidin has the potential to be a single-dose therapy for certain multi-drug resistant bacteria (“superbugs”). Results are now available for the completed Phase 2, open label Proof-of-Concept trial, treating patients with Brilacidin for Ulcerative Proctitis/Ulcerative Proctosigmoiditis (UP/UPS), two types of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). The Company has formed research collaborations with world-renowned research institutions in the United States and Europe, including MD Anderson Cancer Center, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, and the University of Bologna. More information is available on the Company website at www.IPharmInc.com.

Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 including statements concerning projected timelines for the initiation and completion of clinical trials, our future drug development plans, other statements regarding future product developments, including with respect to specific indications, and any other statements which are other than statements of historical fact. These statements involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause the Company’s actual results and experience to differ materially from anticipated results and expectations expressed in these forward-looking statements. The Company has in some cases identified forward-looking statements by using words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “hopes,” “estimates,” “looks,” “expects,” “plans,” “intends,” “goal,” “potential,” “may,” “suggest,” and similar expressions. Among other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements are the Company’s need for, and the availability of, substantial capital in the future to fund its operations and research and development; including the amount and timing of the sale of shares of common stock to Aspire Capital; the fact that the Company’s compounds may not successfully complete pre-clinical or clinical testing, or be granted regulatory approval to be sold and marketed in the United States or elsewhere. A more complete description of these risk factors is included in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. The Company undertakes no obligation to release publicly the results of any revisions to any such forward-looking statements that may be made to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this press release or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by applicable law or regulation.



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January 16, 2018

Innovation Pharmaceuticals Presents at 2018 Biotech Conference; Oral Mucositis Drug Candidate Garners Exceptional Interest After Successful Phase 2 Trial
Brilacidin

BEVERLY, MA – January 16, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) Innovation Pharmaceuticals, (OTCQB:IPIX) (“the Company”), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, is pleased to inform shareholders of a productive appearance by Innovation last week at leading health care meetings held in San Francisco, with an audio file of the Biotech Showcase presentation now available on the Company website.

Interest in the Brilacidin Franchise—based on the breadth of its treatment potential—was notable. Strong momentum gained as a result of Brilacidin’s recent positive topline findings seen in both Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) and Oral Mucositis (OM), coupled with previously successful results achieved in Acute Bacterial Skin and Skin Structure Infection (ABSSSI), has delivered a complementary cross-indication scientific anchoring for each Brilacidin indication in the Company’s pipeline.

In particular, Brilacidin-OM received an exceptional degree of attention at the San Francisco shows, further adding to an already robust partnering matrix. Innovation is developing Brilacidin-OM under a FDA Fast Track designation as a novel therapeutic and recently met the primary endpoint in a Phase 2 trial for preventing severe OM as well as a key secondary endpoint by delaying the onset of severe OM. Brilacidin has effectively earned a leadership position as an easily-delivered oral rinse drug candidate in OM—what many analysts predict will become a $1 billion market opportunity within the next few years.

“What must be stressed is that Brilacidin is a mature, later-stage drug candidate with platform potential. It took the recent completion of two Phase 2 trials, in IBD and OM, to further validate the exceptional results achieved from our Phase 2b study in ABSSSI. These recent data, taken in aggregate, are what various actively engaged pharmaceutical companies have desired from us for some time—and they are what triggered a newfound flurry of inbound partnership discussions at the San Francisco conferences,” commented Leo Ehrlich, Chief Executive Officer at Innovation Pharmaceuticals. “Datasets now in hand, reflecting three successfully completed Phase 2 studies across which multiple endpoints were met, have brought the Company to an important inflection point regarding Brilacidin. In coming weeks, we look forward to advancing these discussions with attractive partnership / licensing scenarios, towards determining the best path forward for the Company and its loyal shareholders.”

Biotech Showcase Event Recording

An audio file of the Corporate Overview given at 2018 Biotech Showcase, on January 8, in San Francisco, is now available and accessible on the Events and Presentations section of the Company’s website.

Brilacidin-OM (Phase 2 Trial Completed)

As announced earlier, the Company has completed a Phase 2 randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial (see NCT02324335) evaluating Brilacidin’s ability, administered as an oral rinse, to prevent and attenuate OM in patients with Head and Neck Cancer (HNC) receiving chemoradiation with at least 55 Gy across 7 weeks. The study’s primary endpoint was met, with Brilacidin, as a preventative treatment, showing a clear reduction in the incidence of severe OM (SOM) (WHO Grade ≥ 3) compared to placebo. A key secondary endpoint in the trial, delaying the onset of SOM, also was met. The Company has begun exploring patient-friendly improvements to drug delivery (the use of sachets) and will be meeting with the FDA to determine next steps in the clinical development of Brilacidin-OM. Patents for Brilacidin-OM have also been granted globally, most recently in Europe. Worldwide, the potential market for OM, largely untapped, is estimated to be in excess of $1 billion, with the Company considered a top contender in this space.

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January 3, 2018

Innovation Pharmaceuticals Brilacidin Meets Key Secondary Endpoint in Phase 2 Trial, Delays Onset of Severe Oral Mucositis (SOM)
Brilacidin
Latest Results Further Support Topline Data Showing Trial Met Primary Endpoint of Reducing Incidence of SOM

BEVERLY, MA – January 3, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) Innovation Pharmaceuticals, (OTCQB:IPIX) (“the Company”), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, today presented additional secondary endpoint topline results from the Company's randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, Phase 2 clinical trial of Brilacidin (see NCT02324335) for the prevention and control of Oral Mucositis (OM) in patients receiving chemoradiation for treatment of Head and Neck Cancer.

Previously released results from the study showed the use of Brilacidin-OM met its primary endpoint with a clearly reduced incidence of severe OM (SOM) (WHO Grade ≥ 3) compared to placebo. Brilacidin-OM is being developed with global patent protections under an FDA Fast Track designation for this indication.

Summary of Key Secondary Endpoints Analysis

· Onset of Severe Oral Mucositis: Based on Kaplan-Meier curves, Brilacidin-OM oral rinse showed a clear separation from placebo in delaying the onset of SOM—particularly the period from approximately 28-42 days, after the initiation of treatment, during which the incidence of SOM rose strikingly in the placebo group while not in the group being treated with Brilacidin. The delay of onset of SOM data further support the positive primary endpoint findings that showed a clear reduction in the incidence of SOM in patients receiving Brilacidin-OM treatment. Our updated Corporate Overview, with a visual display of the Kaplan-Meier curves, is now available (pdf) on the Company’s website.

· Duration of Severe Oral Mucositis: Given that Brilacidin-OM successfully prevented SOM from occurring, as well as delayed its onset, in a substantial number of patients, data comparisons aimed at assessing potential reduction in the duration of SOM were constrained by the fewer number of Brilacidin-OM treated patients that could be included in such analysis. While Brilacidin-OM appeared to decrease the initial duration of SOM (time from the initial WHO Grade ≥ 3 to the first WHO Grade ≤ 2 OM assessment), detailed interpretation of this and other duration data comparisons were limited.

“The notable effect of Brilacidin-OM in delaying the onset of SOM in patients—on top of preventing it—further substantiates the drug candidate’s potential to emerge as a highly efficacious, safe and easy-to-administer preventative medicine for this notoriously painful and difficult-to-treat condition,” said Arthur P. Bertolino, MD, PhD, MBA, President and Chief Medical Officer at Innovation Pharmaceuticals. “That Brilacidin performed so well in this clinical trial puts us in an extremely advantageous position in both a competitive and regulatory sense. The unmet medical need in OM is tremendous and we look forward to advancing Brilacidin-OM toward possible market approval, which would help improve the lives of so many cancer patients.”

The Company is now working to complete the Clinical Study Report (CSR). The CSR is central for engaging with the FDA to further discuss program development, and is also an important component for informing already advanced OM partnership discussions. In Brilacidin-OM, based on the strong positive Phase 2 clinical results, the Company believes it has a highly promising and unique late-stage OM drug candidate that, with approval, could assume the leadership position in a market with untapped economic potential. The global OM market is expected to exceed $1 billion in the next few years.

Biotech Showcase Details

The Company will be presenting at the 2018 Biotech Showcase Investor and Networking Conference, held January 8-10, in San Francisco, as detailed below:

Date: Monday, January 8, 2018
Time: 4:00 PM PST
Track: Yosemite - C (Ballroom Level)

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December 27, 2017

Innovation Pharmaceuticals Obtains Direct Evidence of Molecular Pathways Modulation in Tumors from First Patients in Kevetrin Ph2a Ovarian Cancer Trial
Kevetrin

BEVERLY, Mass., Dec. 27, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Innovation Pharmaceuticals Inc., (OTCQB:IPIX) (“the Company”), a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company, is pleased to announce highly encouraging preliminary data from the first patients treated in the Company’s Phase 2a clinical trial (see NCT03042702) of Kevetrin for ovarian cancer.

Modulation of the p53 protein was observed in response to administration of Kevetrin. Pathways analyses also point to concomitant cell cycle modulation at the level of gene expression. Importantly, these data are the first to directly support, in ovarian cancer patient tumors, Kevetrin’s ability to affect p53 and associated molecular pathways—a central gene signaling network involved in regulating cell growth and the cell cycle, helping to prevent cancer.

In more detail, preliminary analyses used Western Blots to assess relative levels of key proteins extracted from tumor biopsies before and after a series of nine Kevetrin infusions administered over three weeks. The level of phospho-p53, the activated form of the protein, in addition to the noted p53 modulation, was also seen to change in response to Kevetrin administration. These findings confirm in patient tumors Kevetrin-induced anti-cancer effects similar to those demonstrated (pdf) preclinically in ovarian cancer cell-lines. These new data reinforce prior clinical data, from the earlier concluded Phase 1 study of Kevetrin in advanced solid tumors (see NCT01664000), in which observations of p21 expression in peripheral blood monocytes supported p53 involvement in Kevetrin’s mechanism of action.

Data from RNAseq analyses of expressed mRNAs and sRNAs in tumors, before and after treatment with Kevetrin, are being further analyzed to assess the nature and scope of molecular pathways modulations. The strongest signal so far detected concerns the cell cycle and a variety of transcription factors.

Running in parallel, the Company is making plans to develop Kevetrin as an oral agent (tablet or capsule) that could be dosed multiple times per day, leveraging its short half-life and pharmacokinetic profile. Bioavailability and other lab studies have been encouraging. Last, linked below is a blog post, published on the Company’s website, further elaborating on Kevetrin’s treatment potential as a novel, p53-modulating anti-cancer drug candidate.

"Kevetrin's Effect on the p53 Signaling Pathway in a Broader Scientific Context"

Management Comments

“In a majority of cancers, p53 is mutated, preventing the body from performing its anti-tumor functions,” said Leo Ehrlich, Chief Executive Officer at Innovation Pharmaceuticals. “As a result, therapies targeting p53 have long been pursued, highly sought-after by Big Pharma, but have largely been met with limited success due to the inherent complexity of p53. So, to see Kevetrin modulate p53 in a clinical setting in tumor biopsies from patients is an exciting moment for the Company, positioning us at the forefront of developing a potentially transformative anti-cancer therapy.”

“Our science team has been working on Kevetrin for over a decade now, studying its unique anti-cancer profile across multiple cancer types, from solid tumors to leukemias—a function of Kevetrin’s ability to induce apoptosis in both wild type p53 and mutant p53 tumors,” said Arthur P. Bertolino, MD, PhD, MBA, President and Chief Medical Officer at Innovation Pharmaceuticals. “It’s rewarding to think—after so many years of research in the lab and in the clinical setting—that we now have more direct evidence of how Kevetrin’s multiple mechanisms of action modulate p53, helping to restore the body’s natural ability to fight cancer. Such mechanistic insights of the kind we’re observing will prove invaluable as we continue to advance Kevetrin into later-stage clinical development.”

About Ovarian Cancer

Ovarian Cancer is a common type of cancer that commonly begins in women's ovaries and associated tissues. Malignant ovarian tumor cells metastasize either directly through the organs of the pelvis region, or through the bloodstream, or the lymphatic system. The causes of ovarian cancer are still not known, though women over the age of 63 represent more than 50 percent of newly diagnosed cases, with the cancer more frequently found in white women than other ethnicities. Ovarian cancer ranks fifth in cancer deaths among women worldwide. It is estimated that in 2016, in the United States, over 22,000 women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer, with approximately 14,000 women dying from the disease. A $1.6 billion market, current treatment is often limited to surgery and chemotherapy and there is no cure.

About Kevetrin and p53

Kevetrin is a small molecule that has demonstrated the potential of becoming a breakthrough cancer treatment by modulating p53, a protein frequently referred to as the “Guardian of the Genome” due to its critical role in controlling cell mutations. In the majority of cancers, and regardless of origin, type, and location, the p53 pathway is mutated, preventing the body from performing its natural anti-tumor functions. Conducted at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, a Phase 1 clinical trial (see NCT01664000) of Kevetrin in treating advanced solid tumors has been successfully completed, with patients showing good toleration and encouraging signs of potential therapeutic response (see ASCO 2015, ASCO 2013). Additional pre-clinical work supporting Kevetrin’s anti-cancer activity has recently been presented at scientific conferences (see EHA 2017, AACR 2017). The Company has initiated a Phase 2a trial of Kevetrin (see NCT03042702) in late stage, platinum-resistant/refractory ovarian cancer. Patients will receive more frequent dosing (3 times per week) at higher levels and then receive standard of care treatment after trial conclusion. Efforts also are underway to develop Kevetrin as an oral anti-cancer agent that can be administered daily, potentially multiple times per day. The FDA has awarded Kevetrin Orphan Drug status for ovarian cancer, pancreatic cancer, and retinoblastoma, qualifying it for developmental incentives and a potential extra 7 years of market exclusivity upon drug approval. The FDA also has granted Kevetrin Rare Pediatric Disease designation for childhood retinoblastoma.



http://www.ipharminc.com/press-release/